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Old News Stories
Chatsworth Has Youngest Mayor In US, 1946
From The Atlanta Constitution
Jan. 25, 1946
Chatsworth Claims Youngest Mayor in U.S.
And Clerk, too
Chatsworth, Ga., Jan. 24. This bustling north Georgia town, the county seat of Murray county, has entered the lists with a couple of claims of its own–that it has the youngest mayor and the youngest city clerk in the United States.
Thus, in regard to the mayoralty, it contests the claim of Douglasville, Ga., and in regard to the city clerk it flings out an open challenge for any city in the country to do better.
For the mayor of Chatsworth is 24 years old, "going on 25," while the mayor of Douglasville is 27, "going on 28." And the city clerk of Chatsworth is a girl just out of high school, 17 years old. Ergo, this city proudly claims the double honor of having the youngest mayor and the youngest city clerk in America.
The mayor of Chatsworth is William Cast Groves–"Bill" Groves for short–and the city clerk is Miss Gladys Irene Robinson–"Polly" Robinson to all of Chatsworth.
Youth Directs City
Elected mayor last Jan. 5, Groves took office two days later and now he directed the affairs of the city from an office in the county courthouse. Miss Robinson, chosen city clerk at the first meeting of the new city council, uses the same office. Thus, "Bill" and "Polly," dynamic agents for the spirit of youth, run the business of the city.
Groves, a veteran of World War II, returned home last year after 13 months overseas, first in Australia and later in New Guinea. After his homecoming, he drove a taxi for some months. Then, last fall, he got into politics and decided to run for mayor. In the election last January he won easily against two candidates. He received 122 votes against 79 for S. H. Kelly, the incumbent mayor, and 27 for Henry Leonard, the third candidate.
"And it wasn't hard at all," laughed Groves. "You see, it's this way. I let the other fellows do the talking and I did the handshaking. That, I think, is pretty good political strategy."
 Old News Stories
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